Laptop
by Rubix84
Summary: Non-Canon short story. Brendan and Ste. Fluffy!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Hi everyone, you may have noticed I have been M.I.A. Laptop bust and had to save for a new one :(  
This story a little bit inspired by my feelings towards laptops. Hope to get back to wrting on my other stories now, though lost everything I had already done.**

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Brendan sent the glossy grey laptop hurtling towards the grimy green brick wall, where it ricocheted off with an ugly crack, before landing with a smash on the hard concrete floor. From where he stood in the office behind his sleek glass desk, stock-still other than for a slight tremble as the rage that had engulfed him slowly ebbed away out of his system, Brendan could see the mangled machine where it lay, smoking slightly as the life flickered from it.

Cheryl's head popped in around the office door, "what on Earth was that?" she asked, before clocking the dead computer on the floor. Cheryl sighed, shaking her head. Her older brother had been acting strangely for weeks now. To be fair her brother was always somewhat of a mystery to her, but she loved him anyway. This had been different though, something in his behaviour had niggled at her, he had seemed to swing between being distracted and agitated, preoccupied and moody. If she didn't know any better she would have said he was pining for someone. But that was not her brother's style.

"What have you done to that?" Cheryl asked indicating towards the battered laptop on the floor.

Brendan sniffed. "Doesn't work," he grunted as he walked over and bent down to retrieve the computer, "think I'll go return it."

"I hardly think you can return," Cheryl began, but Brendan was not listening to her and was already on his way through the door of the office clutching the damaged laptop in one hand.

As he parked his large black car Brendan thought back to the first time he had seen the boy. He had been walking down the street, amusing himself by shooting steely glares at other pedestrians, seeing how many would jump out of his way (all of them of course) when he first glimpsed him through the huge shop window. The window display had been filled with shiny gadgets, the latest must-haves in technology, but Brendan had looked right past it all, his eyes locking on to the slim figure hovering in the aisles ready to help in any way possible. Brendan had felt a familiar stirring at this possibility, and his lip twitched slightly with anticipation. He had smoothed his moustache, covertly checking his reflection in the polished glass window and confidently entered the shop.

Brendan lingered for a little while by the digital cameras where he could watch the young lad at work. He noticed how his T-Shirt fitted him snugly, providing the merest hint of the slight but toned torso underneath. His black trousers, whilst not tight clung just enough that they showed to perfection the curve of his arse beneath the material. Finally he had approached Brendan to see if he required any assistance.

"Hi can I help you?" he spoke with a distinctive Mancunian accent.

Brendan had feigned an interest in the cameras he was standing near, all the time carefully studying the young lad before him. His soft light brown hair that was begging to be brushed away from his forehead, his piercing blue eyes which seemed to shine beneath a curtain of thick long dark lashes, his nose that turned up slightly at the end, how his lips were moist and full and fell naturally into a flawless pout.

Whilst the boy was perfectly amenable and friendly towards him, Brendan sensed a degree of reservation in his character. Brendan realised that this would not be an immediate conquest. He settled for buying one of the cameras and impressing the boy by withdrawing a wad of notes from his jacket pocket, peeling off a few fifties to pay for his purchase. He noted how the boy looked both daunted and exhilarated by his show of power and wealth.

Over the next couple of weeks Brendan frequented the shop every few days, whenever he was sure that the lad would be working. Ste, Brendan learnt his name was. Brendan had dismissed this as a stupid name and made a point of calling him Steven instead. Over the weeks Brendan managed to get him talking and learnt that despite his apparent youthful appearance Ste had two small children to support, and though he still lived with their mother they were no longer together. Brendan found this set-up interesting but not entirely surprising as he was 100% sure of this boy's sexual orientation and that was gay. Brendan quickly gathered that the children were Ste's world. His basic pay went towards keeping a roof over their head, food on the table etc… but whatever commission he had went towards treats for little Leah and Lucas. With that knowledge in mind Brendan continued to buy up the best, most expensive gadgets the shop had to offer. A new laptop, a 3D TV, a new games console, a top of the range stereo system. He wasn't sure why really. He knew he could have Ste without such gestures if he felt like it. He saw the way Ste's face lit up now whenever he entered the shop, how his eyes would sparkle, how he would sub-consciously lick his lips nervously as Brendan approached him. Brendan's only question was did Ste's conscious realise what his sub-conscious obviously craved yet?

Finally Brendan decided he could wait no longer. He bought a huge flat-screen TV, nominally for the club. "Will be good to get the football on," he had told Ste. As he always did Ste offered to help him back to the car with his new purchase. After the TV had been safely loaded into the car Ste began to turn to walk back to the shop.

"Steven" Brendan grabbed his arm stepping closer to the lad, trapping Ste between the hot metal of the car and the warmth of his body. "This is a thank-you," Brendan said brandishing two crisp fifty-pound notes before slipping them inside Ste's top, feeling the graze of the smooth tan skin against his fingers. And then feeling unable to stop himself Brendan bent his head down catching Ste's mouth with his own, just for a second in the sweetest kiss Brendan had ever known.

As quick as it had happened Brendan stepped away, briefly registering the surprise and unmistakably hint of lust painted onto Ste's face, before opening his car door jumping in and driving off. Brendan knew he could have the boy if he wanted him. He had not resisted him, in fact Brendan had definitely felt Ste begin to part his lips for that moment, inviting Brendan in. What worried him was the unexpected reaction he had had to this momentary contact with the boy. He had never felt anything like it before. A mixture of desire, need, passion, protectiveness, and possessiveness. Brendan dismissed these feelings, putting them down to the fact that he was unaccustomed to having to chase his conquests for such a long period of time before. He satisfied himself with the knowledge if the boy hadn't already realised he wanted a man he did now, and that he Brendan would soon show him just how good that could be.

Later that night Brendan was patrolling the club dance floor, checking no dodgy deals were being done without him knowing and getting his cut of the proceeds. The club was heaving with hot sweaty bodies, full of punters celebrating an English win that evening. The new TV was already paying for itself Brendan was pleased to see. Then Brendan spotted him through the crowd. Brendan smiled as he realised Ste had obviously made an effort. He stuck out in his smart shirt and carefully styled hair amongst all the other guys who were wearing football shirts and trainers. Brendan tutted to himself, the downside of a football crowd was no sense of style. Brendan followed Ste's progress through the throng jumping and dancing on the floor until finally he caught his eye. Ste smiled at him somewhat shyly and Brendan beckoned him to join him in the staff office.

After Brendan closed the office door on the noise and action going on in the club he turned to Ste, "so Steven to what do I owe this pleasure?" he smirked. He noticed with some amusement a crimson blush swept up Ste's neck onto his cheeks.

"Erm," Ste stammered, "'I've just come with some mates to watch the footie, check out the new TV."

"Are you sure that's all you've come to check out?" Brendan raised his eyebrows.

"Err what d'ya mean?" Ste said, though he seemed to know exactly what Brendan was referring to as he took a nervous step backwards.

"Do I make you nervous Steven?" Brendan half laughed stepping towards him.

"Err no," Ste shook his head unconvincingly.

"Are you sure?" Brendan dropped his voice to a seductive whisper, bending his head towards Ste's enjoying the sound of his breathing hitching and seeing his Adam's apple bob as he gulped uneasily. "Don't worry I won't hurt you," Brendan murmured soothingly against Ste's lips, before placing his mouth against Ste's feeling the boys resistance crumbling as their mouths met, lips parted and tongues plunged in to battle against each other. Brendan felt the reverberation of Ste's groan of pleasure and let his hand trace down his body to feel the growing hardness there.

Brendan immediately realised he had gone too quickly, Ste jumped back from him like he had been burnt. "I'm sorry," Ste panted, "I don't think I can do this." He escaped through the office door. Brendan revelled in the pain that shot through his hand as his fist met the harsh brick wall. Fuck he thought as he sucked the blood from his knuckles. Fuck he had pushed the boy too far too quickly. He'd had a taster now though and now he wanted Steven more than ever before.

The next morning Brendan had Ste's number on redial on the office phone. No answer. Brendan felt himself grow more and more frustrated. As the burn to see Ste grew fiercer and more intense Brendan told himself it was just that he was not accustomed to being thwarted in his conquests. That was all this was about. After a couple of hours of going to Ste's voicemail time and time again Brendan felt his patience finally bubble over and he sent his new laptop hurtling across the room.

When Brendan reached the shop he barged in through the door immediately scanning the place for Ste's presence.

A girl stood slumped at the till looking bored.

"Where's Steven?" Brendan demanded.

"Who?" the girl asked looking puzzled.

"Steven?" Brendan asked again.

"O, you mean Ste?" a look of comprehension dawning on her face.

"Yes," Brendan snarled through gritted teeth.

"Stock room I think," she said gesturing vaguely towards a door at the other side of the shop.

Brendan stormed towards the door, ignoring the girl as she called out behind him "err you can't go in there!"

"Brendan? Err what you doing here?" Ste looked up from where he was stacking boxes on to the shelves in the small dark room.

"Why aren't you answering my calls?" Brendan barked. "What is it, don't you like me?" Then with a pang Brendan realised he was genuinely scared that Steven didn't like him, didn't want him, that the past few weeks had been nothing but a customer-server relationship to him after all. No Brendan had not been mistaken about Ste's response to him, he was sure of that. The boy was obviously just worried about taking a step Brendan guessed he had not taken before. Brendan drew in a deep breath and stepped cautiously towards Ste. He reached out gently brushing his hair just as he had wanted to do when he had first meet him.

"We can take this slow," he tried to reassure Ste, and then with startling clarity, "I like you Steven, okay?"

The room was lit up by Ste's responding smile, before he allowed himself to be wrapped in Brendan's embrace and smothered by Brendan's kisses.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Thanks to everyone who read the first chapter, and your reviews mean a lot!**

**This is Ste's POV**

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"Dinner?"

"Huh?" Ste looked up from where he was flicking mindlessly through the new store catalogue. His mouth immediately cracked into the widest of smiles. There standing looking nonchalant in front of him was his very own tall dark smouldering Irishman.

"I'm asking if you would like to have dinner with me?"

Ste internally shivered at the dark look Brendan was giving him. "Erm sure, tonight?" Ste tried to appear to cool, then immediately cursed himself for sounding so keen.

"Sure tonight if you like," Brendan tried to suppress a smile at the eagerness that was rolling in waves off the boy, despite his obvious attempts to sound casual.

"Cool," Ste smiled again, this time berating himself for sounding so young.

Brendan leant over the checkout point and whispered into Ste's ear, "looking forward to it," placed a chaste kiss on Ste's lips, then put his sunglasses on and sauntered out of the store.

Ste let out a low sigh as he watched Brendan go. He was startled from his daydreaming by a voice in his ear, "he gives me the creeps." It was Sally one of his fellow shop assistants. Ste turned and scowled at her, "well no one was asking you, were they?"

"Sorry Ste, but seriously the moustache?"

"I think it's sexy." I think everything about Brendan is sexy, thought Ste, he's perfect. He subconsciously raised a finger to his lips remembering the tickle and scratch of the moustache.

Sally just looked at him and hummed disapprovingly. Ste huffed and ran a hand through his hair agitatedly, "are you trying to kill my buzz?" he glared at her, then stalked off to the solitude of the stockroom.

The stockroom was now one of his most favourite places in the world. He smiled at the memories of a fortnight previously, when Brendan had barged in raging and fiery, and then told Ste he liked him. The echoes of those words filled Ste with a warm glow and he hugged himself with glee. Brendan Brady liked him.

Ste supposed he shouldn't blame Sally for being worried about him and Brendan. He remembered the first time he had met him, how he was struck by a sense of raw power and masculinity that both intoxicated and acted as a warning in equal measures. He remembered that first interaction where all he could feel was the prickle of tiny goosebumbs dancing on his skin as he sensed Brendan's eyes roaming all over his body looking like he wanted to devour him. It had both excited and scared him at the same time. It was only a secondary thought that shouldn't he be perturbed by the effect this man was having on him?

Ste thought back to an earlier time, back in the previous summer, nearly a year ago. There had been another lad working at the shop, a temporary summer worker. Callum. Ste remembered the jokes, the teasing, the drunken nights outs, sometimes the feel of electricity humming in the air when they worked alone in the stockroom, the feeling when his eyes caught Callum's across the shop floor, but always accompanied by the doubt that he was imagining things, that the looks and the slight touches and Callum subconsciously chewing on his lip when he was near was all in Ste's head.

In the end Ste had buried it all. Callum had headed off to university and Ste hadn't really heard much from him since. Ste had carried on with life as he knew it. Until Brendan had walked into the shop.

Ste found himself pining for the days that Brendan would pop in, every time wondering whether this would be the last time he saw him, being equally amazed every time he came back. When he saw him coming he would imagine what it would be like to kiss him, somebody who was so much a man. Ste imagined the moustache must be uncomfortable, he knew how girls always complained if he let what stubble he did have grow. He found himself memorised by the triangle of flesh that Brendan always had exposed by buttoning his shirt low. The glimpse of muscle and skin and hair. The way Brendan called him Steven, almost as if claiming him for his own made Ste feel special in a way he had never experienced before, or even knew he wanted. Ste knew there was no way of denying it to himself this man, in every sense of the word, was turning him on. The only thought that scared him though was what if he was totally misreading the signals. He couldn't imagine Brendan was the type of man to suffer fools.

Then Brendan had kissed him. Ste had helped him carry yet another purchase back to the car, as he always did just to prolong the time he got to spend with him. As he had turned to leave and walk back to the shop Brendan had grabbed his wrist tightly and pushed him back against the blistering heat of the car. Ste's immediate thought had been that he'd crossed some line. Perhaps Brendan wasn't gay and had cottoned onto all the fantasies Ste had been having and was now going to beat them out of him. He wasn't that well clued up on his own sexuality, let alone that of another man's, though the feeling that Brendan's heavy body trapping him to the car was producing left Ste in very little doubt of what he wanted.

Brendan didn't hit him though, he was shoving some money inside his shirt, the feel of Brendan's fingers sending fiery sparks through him. And then Brendan kissed him, Just for the shortest second. But the sweetest second Ste had ever known. In that second his world was turned upside down. Before Ste even had chance to properly respond Brendan had pulled away, but those tiny sparks that his touch had created were now going off in little fireworks all around Ste.

Ste had walked back to the shop in a daze, the most ridiculous smile plastered onto his face.

"You look like the cat that the cream," Sally had commented as he entered through the door.

"What?" Ste had asked confused, being awoken from his dream-like state.

"You look happy," Sally clarified.

"Yeah, well I guess I am." There was only one thing niggling at Ste, when would he see Brendan again.

He made the bold decision to take the bull by the horns, he was going to seize the initiative.

"You look nice," Amy commented as he picked up his keys from the kitchen table.

"Just going to watch the footie with some of the lads."

"Is that right?" Amy cocked an eyebrow disbelievingly, "aren't you a bit overdressed for watching the football?"

Ste glanced down at himself, he had put one of his best shirts on, blue because Amy had once said the colour complemented his eyes. His hair carefully styled back away from his face. "Do you think it's too much?" he asked.

"Well that depends, is it too impress a girl? Because I'm impressed," Amy smiled.

Ste took a deep breath. He supposed it was now or never. "It'saguy." He rushed out in a whisper.

"What?" Amy asked not quite catching what Ste has said.

Ste took another deep breath, then looking at the floor he repeated himself a little slower, "it's a guy" then continued as if to clarify when he saw Amy looking puzzled "not a girl."

Amy's mouth fell open, "Oh."

There was silence for a moment as Amy digested what Ste said, and Ste braced himself for Amy's reaction. Eventually Amy just smiled at him, pulled him into a hug and then said "as long as you're happy." Ste squeezed her back tighter in thanks.

As Ste entered the club the confidence that had carried him there started to ebb away. What was he doing? He had no idea. What if Brendan had decided the kiss was a mistake. It had been so quick. Perhaps it had been rubbish, maybe that was why Brendan had driven away without so much as a word to him. Before he could completely change his mind and run-away he saw Brendan stalking through the crowded club towards him. Brendan stopped when he caught Ste's eye and indicated that he should follow him through a door behind him.

Ste nervously stepped into the small room, which looked like being Brendan's office. He heard the click of the door behind him and the noise from outside became muffled and distant, it was just him and Brendan. Alone. Fear and anticipation began to battle for control of his emotions. Then Brendan was talking to him, flirting with him, his head didn't seem to be registering the words, but his mouth seemed to be responding automatically.

"Do I make you nervous Steven?" Brendan smirked beginning to close the distance between them.

Yes Ste screamed internally. "Err no."

"Are you sure?" Brendan whispered into the side of his neck, the warmth of his breath tickling along the surface of his skin causing Ste to gulp loudly. Brendan moved his head so his lips grazed Ste's with the lightest of touches. "Don't worry I won't hurt you," Brendan murmured causing vibrations to ripple outwards from Ste's lips. Then Brendan crashed their mouths together. No more hesitation or teasing or feather light caresses. Ste felt like he was being utterly possessed. If felt amazing.

He allowed his body to meld with Brendan's, feeling the unyielding firmness of the muscles beneath the sharp suit. Ste pressed closer at he felt the deep white heat within start to travel lower, stirred up by the feeling of Brendan's tongue invading his mouth with confident force. Ste groaned into Brendan's mouth as somewhere in his sub-conscious he became away of Brendan's hands moving over his body, tracing lines through his shirt, reaching lower and lower.

Ste flinched back like he had been electrocuted. What was he doing. He was so hard it literally hurt. But he had no idea what he was doing. "I'm sorry" he breathed heavily, "I don't think I can do this." I don't even know what this is, Ste was desperately trying to scramble his thoughts together. He stared at Brendan for a second. The man in front of him, eyes blazing, mouth parted, lips glistening. Then he ran. Ste threw open the office door and stumbled down the stairs and out of the club into the fresh night air. He slid into the dark alleyway and rested back against the brick walls there. He listened for a moment. There was no sound of Brendan chasing after him. He's going to think I'm just a little kid now. Who runs away scared like that. Ste kicked the wall behind him in frustration. He'd blown it.

To his amazement the next morning his phone started buzzing on the bedside table. It was Brendan calling. Ste's hand hovered over the phone, but by the time it had made a decision about whether to answer it, and what he would say if he did answer it, it had rung-out to voicemail.

After Ste stepped out of the shower that morning dressed for work Amy cornered him in the kitchen. "So how did it go last night?"

"I don't want to talk about," Ste grumbled at her, in no hurry to relive the events of the previous evening.

"That bad huh?" she asked sympathetically.

"You have no idea," Ste groaned running a hand messily through his hair.

"If that's the case why has," Amy picked up Ste's mobile, "Brendan called five times already today?"

"He has?"

"So what's up, don't you like him?"

"What no," Ste exclaimed, "he's amazing. So strong, and manly… and what would he want with me?" Ste shrugged.

Amy flushed a little to hear Ste talk to blatantly about his attraction to a man, she shook off the unfamiliarity of though. He was her best friend and she would help him through this. "You'll never know if you don't return his calls!" she emphasised waving his phone in the air.

Later as he was stacking boxes in the stockroom he considered Amy's words. He resolved to pick up the phone next time Brendan called, though a dull ache inside informed him that Brendan hadn't rang for a couple of hours now. He was interrupted from his thoughts by the sound of the heavy stockroom door being flung open and then slammed behind whoever had entered. Somebody's in a bad mood he thought looking up to see who it was.

It was Brendan, face like thunder. He was yelling at him but Ste wasn't really hearing him, he was too busy looking at him, mesmerised like he always was in Brendan's presence. Ste tried to shake himself mentally he should probably pay attention to what Brendan was saying because it just sounded a lot like Brendan had said 'I like you Steven.'

Ste performed a little internal dance. He likes me! I think he just said he likes me. Ste didn't know it was possible to feel this way. He threw himself at Brendan who embraced it with strong arms, covering Ste's lips with his own. Ste giggled as the force of Brendan slamming him backwards caused a shower of laptops to clatter down off the shelving around them.

"Are you laughing at me Steven?" Brendan growled at him.

"No," the huskiness of Brendan's voice sending frisson of excitement through Ste, causing him to stretch up to reclaim Brendan's mouth for his own.

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**I hope you don't mind if I leave the story like this. I might come back to it, but it's nice to leave it with the idea of what could be, plus I have now mapped out the the rest of 'Birthday Treat' so I can get that written up, again big apologies and big thanks for your patience with me!**


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